The Truth About Sheol, Hades, and the Lie of Eternal Torment

The traditional doctrine of Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT) tells a horrific story: that Jesus died and descended into a burning torture chamber to pull a few souls out—and that most of humanity will later be cast into this same place forever. But does scripture really say that? Or have we inherited a false theology built on pagan influence, mistranslation, and fear?

Hades vs. Sheol: What Got Lost in Translation

When the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek in the Septuagint (LXX), the word Sheol—which simply means “the grave” or “the realm of the dead”—was rendered as Hades. This was not a neutral translation.

In Greek thought, Hades was a realm of moral judgment, ruled by a god of the underworld, and often connected to punishment. Sheol, in contrast, was simply the silent resting place of all the dead, righteous or wicked.

That change introduced a pagan cosmology into biblical theology. And over time, the grave (Sheol) was reimagined as a place of conscious, fiery torment (Hades)—even though the Bible never teaches that.

Revelation Unmasks the Lie: Zeus is Satan

Revelation 2:13 identifies Pergamum, the city of the massive altar to Zeus, as the place where “Satan’s throne” is. That’s not a metaphor. It’s a direct exposure: the king of the Greek gods is identified with the Adversary himself.

In Greek mythology:

• Zeus rules the heavens
• Hades rules the underworld

If Zeus is Satan, then Hades is the counterfeit grave, complete with a false afterlife system designed to twist the truth.

Revelation 1:18 makes it clear who holds real authority: “I have the keys of Death and Hades.” Jesus didn’t inherit a domain called Hades—He conquered it and took control of its gates.

Every New Testament Reference to Hades (All 10)

There are 10 total appearances of the Greek word Hades in the New Testament. Of those, only one mentions conscious torment—and it’s a parable.

1. Matthew 11:23 / Luke 10:15 – Cities brought down to Hades (symbolic ruin)
2. Matthew 16:18 – Gates of Hades won’t prevail against the Church
3. Luke 16:23 – The rich man in torment (parable—not doctrine)
4. Acts 2:27, 31 – Jesus’ soul not left in Hades (no torment mentioned)
5. Revelation 1:18 – Jesus holds the keys to Death and Hades
6. Revelation 6:8 – Hades follows Death (a grave, not a torment site)
7. Revelation 20:13–14 – Hades gives up the dead and is destroyed

Nine of these show Hades as a realm of the dead, a holding place, or a symbol of judgment, but never as a place of ongoing torment. Only Luke 16 depicts awareness in Hades, and even that is highly symbolic, layered with allegory, and full of Old Testament imagery (Abraham’s bosom, flame, chasm, etc.).

The Descent of Christ: Did He Preach in Hades?

Many assume Jesus preached to the dead in Hades, offering salvation or ministering in torment. But the scriptures don’t say that.

Let’s examine the so-called “descent” passages:

Ephesians 4:8–10

“When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive… He also descended into the lower parts of the earth.”

Here’s the order:

• He descended
• Then ascended
• And in ascending, He led captivity captive

The leading of captivity happens after the resurrection. It’s not a reference to a ministry in Hades.

So what does “led captivity captive” mean?

It means Jesus took control of the prison. He didn’t just unlock the cells—He overthrew the wardens:

• He took the keys (Rev 1:18)
• He disarmed the powers (Col 2:15)
• He destroyed the one who held the power of death (Heb 2:14)

Christ didn’t go to plead in Hades. He went to take over.

Who Are the “Spirits in Prison”?

1 Peter 3:18–20

“He went and preached to the spirits in prison who were disobedient in the days of Noah…”

This doesn’t say “souls of dead humans.” It says spirits who were disobedient in the days of Noah. That lines up with the imprisoned Watchers of Genesis 6, referenced also in Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4. Jesus wasn’t offering postmortem salvation—He was proclaiming victory to the very beings who tried to hijack humanity.

However, there is also a possibility that the “spirits in prison” refers to human souls. Nowhere in Scripture are fallen Elohim, demons, or rebellious gods said to go to Hades. They are consistently sent to the Abyss. Hades, by contrast, is the grave—the realm of the dead. If these are human spirits, then Christ’s descent becomes an act of hopeful proclamation, not merely conquest. And if there is even a glimmer of conscious awareness in Hades, then that’s not a threat—it’s a doorway. It means there is hope in Hades.

Not torment. Not punishment. But a chance for awakening—a moment of recognition.

Isaiah 14 hints at this possibility. When the Shining One (mistranslated as “Lucifer,” but actually a fallen Elohim demoted into humanity—possibly Apollon), dies and enters Hades, it says the kings already there rise in awareness and respond to his arrival. This suggests that consciousness in Hades can be shaken, stirred, or awakened—but not in a permanent, living sense. More like a dormant state that can be pierced.

That brief window of awareness could be the very moment when Christ’s presence shines like lightning across the grave, awakening the souls of men—not to torment them, but to reveal truth. And unlike Earth, Christ wouldn’t have to spend three years speaking one-on-one. He could awaken all at once, preaching beyond time.

What About “The Gospel Was Preached to the Dead”?

1 Peter 4:6

“The gospel was preached also to those who are dead…”

This is past tense. These people were alive when they heard the gospel—but they’ve since died. Peter is offering assurance: though dead in the flesh, they live in the spirit.

There’s no descent, no torment, and no postmortem evangelism.

Captivity Became the Captive

The phrase “led captivity captive” is royal language. In the Old Testament, kings who conquered cities would parade their enemies in chains.

Jesus did the same. But instead of conquering people, He conquered captivity itself.

• Death
• Hades
• The power of the grave
• The rulers and authorities in the unseen realm

All were bound and humiliated in His triumph.

Hades Is Not Hell

The modern idea of “Hell” as a place of eternal torture is not rooted in scripture. It’s the result of:

• Greek mythology
• Roman legalism
• Medieval fear
• Mistranslation

The word Hades was used in the Septuagint to replace Sheol, and that single move allowed pagan underworld concepts to infiltrate Christian doctrine.

But the Bible tells a different story:

• Hades is a grave, not a furnace.
• Jesus went there in power, not in desperation.
• He came back with keys, not just stories.
• And He will destroy Death and Hades once and for all (Rev 20:14).

The Real Gospel: Universal Reconciliation

The true gospel is that Christ is Lord of the living and the dead. He did not descend to torture chambers. He descended to conquer.

• Hades will be emptied.
• Death will be undone.
• Every knee will bow.

The pagan distortion of the afterlife turns Christ into a glorified warden or bystander while billions burn. That is not the gospel. That is slander against the character of God and the victory of Christ.

There is no eternal torment in Hades. There is no annihilation of souls. There is only one conqueror—Jesus Christ—and His reign ends not in selective survival, but in the restoration of all things.